Archive for 2014

Poultry is the ultimate weeknight supper. But how to jazz up the old standbys and not add alot of time in the process? Enter the boneless chicken breast since the bone-in breasts and legs cook at drastically different times. They cook exceptionally fast and are extremely versatile.

Stews used to be relegated to winter cooking, but with the crock pot, I realized that a good stew is all-season comfort food. Stews are a great lunch as well as supper, too. Put on a batch of rice in the rice cooker and voila, excellent satisfying meal in the making. Slow moist heat is what the slow cooker specializes in, so stews are one of the premium dishes to make in them. Most novices go for a chili (bean stew) or meat stew first.

I thought I better put one other one-serving down-home-style, nothing fancy, lottsa veggies, mom’s beef stew in the NYMSC for Two book since I use the 1 1/2 quart slow cooker so often. I cut my own stew meat from…

Here is a wonderfully classic beef stew adapted from a recipe simply called Beef en Casserole once on the menu at the now defunct Russian Tea Room in New York City. I use a quality Merlot red wine, since the…

My favorite Italian flavors–lemons, walnuts, anise, and raisins–are the spirited Mediterranean additions to this barely sweet cake, which you will be proud to serve for a festive occasion. It also toasts nicely after a day or two.

I enjoy poundcake so much that I devised a decadent chocolate version. I got the idea to glaze it and serve it with a creamy whipped topping from Gourmet magazine. What a hit with coffee drinks! For the best flavor, use India Tree brand dark brown sugar.

I learned how to make my first loaf of bread when I was 18 years old. My room mates made the White Bread Plus recipe out of the Joy Of Cooking cookbook and it tasted so incredible! The texture and flavor were like nothing I had ever had from the supermarket or a bakery.

You want some dessert, but are satisfied with a few cookies or a slice of cake, not more than that. And you don’t want it hanging around the house for days, worrying about eating too much, have to give away the rest, or have to freeze it. If you are half of a couple or live alone, small batch baking is not a new concept for you, but a practical way to bake.

This is a fudge-like little chocolate cake, adapted from my old chocolate truffle cake I made during my restaurant days. It is for intense chocolate lovers and because of its unique texture, tastes best within an hour of baking, while…